GAZA CITY, May 14 – Israeli forces pushed deep into the ruins of Gaza’s northern edge on Monday to recapture an area from Hamas militants, while tanks and troops pushed across a highway into the southern city of Rafah, leaving Palestinian civilians scrambling to find safety.
Commando and infantry forces attacked Jabalia and Zeitoun in northern Gaza from the ground as the air force carried out strikes from above. The troops were engaged in “close-range battles,” the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that “many underground infrastructures and fighting spaces in the area were destroyed.”
The military said it was conducting a “limited” operation against militant infrastructure in Rafah, while the United Nations reported that over 300,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since the weekend as Israeli soldiers advanced further into the city.
The assault on Rafah has caused one of the biggest splits in decades between Israel and its main ally, the U.S., which paused some deliveries of weapons.
U.S. President Joe Biden has faced heavy criticism from his own supporters domestically for his support of Israel. Some of those critics have accused Israel of committing genocide, a claim dismissed by the White House and Israel.
Washington says Israel must not assault Rafah without a plan to protect civilians, which it has yet to see.
Noting Israel’s aim of wiping out Hamas, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Monday said Washington did not think that goal of total victory was “likely or possible.”
